Italian BLTs

I don’t know when or why this idea came to me. I think I was randomly thinking about BLTs one day (I randomly think about food a lot, don’t you? …Oh, just me?), and it just hit me that pesto mayonnaise would be delicious on a BLT (since it’s delicious on so many other things). It wasn’t a far stretch to add mozzarella cheese to the equation, and substitute shredded romaine for the traditional iceberg lettuce. And thus, this delicious Italian-style BLT was born.

I love the flavors and textures of this BLT. The pesto adds another layer of flavor to the mayonnaise, and it works so well with the smoky bacon. The mayonnaise is slightly grainy, the cheese is gooey, the tomatoes are juicy, the bacon is crispy and so is the lettuce. It’s so incredibly tasty.

You can use fresh mozzarella for these if you want. It would melt on the sandwiches nicely. But if you’re a budget shopper like me and the fresh stuff is a little pricey for you, the shredded version is fine. You could also use sliced provolone. I used an entire pound of bacon (about 16 slices), which yielded four slices per sandwich. Well, okay: A couple of the sandwiches may have had only three slices, because I couldn’t resist stealing some for myself. I’m the cook; it’s my right.

I just thought of something: You could also serve this on garlic bread. Oh, man, I’m going to try that. I’ll report back if I haven’t died from deliciousness.

Italian BLTs

1 pound cooked bacon
1 romaine heart, shredded
2 Roma tomatoes, sliced
Shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup prepared pesto
8 slices toasted bread

1. Combine mayonnaise and pesto. Spread each slice of bread with pesto mayonnaise.

2. Layer bacon, cheese, tomato, and shredded lettuce on four slices of bread; top with other four slices. Serve immediately.

One year ago: Chicken parmesan cakes